PwC US has made a major commitment to the region by signing a 13-year lease with MetLife, Inc. for 43,277 square feet at the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Miami. Approximately 300 PwC partners and professionals will make their move into the Gold LEED-certified building located at 333 SE 2nd Avenue in February 2015.

Taylor & Mathis Partner Brian Gale negotiated the lease on behalf of the landlord, MetLife. PwC was represented by co-brokers Gregg Middelton and Carter Hopkins of CBRE. “We are ecstatic to add another top notch firm to our tenant roster at Wells Fargo Center” said Gale. “This is the second credit tenant moving from Brickell Avenue to Wells Fargo Center in Downtown Miami in the last 4 months. Wells Fargo Center has leased over 150,000 square feet of new leases in the last 16 months.” In January Gale announced a 35,358 SF lease for GrayRobinson at Wells Fargo Center.

In addition to signaling its faith in an exciting and thriving part of downtown Miami, PwC sought out the building to accommodate its future growth plans. The professional services firm is optimistic about its long-term growth prospects in the market and intends to increase its employment in order to continue its strong growth trajectory in South Florida.

“PwC has a longstanding history of serving companies in the greater Miami area, and we’re looking forward to continuing that legacy,” said Mario de Armas, managing partner for PwC’s Florida market. “We continue to see an increased demand for our assurance, tax and consulting services, and we’re optimistic about our future employment and the growth of our business here. We also plan to continue our work in the community, with a focus on helping local schools and organizations improve education and financial literacy.”

The office will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including the latest media sharing and collaboration tools. De Armas noted that the layout of the new space will enhance team collaboration and knowledge sharing, cater to the mobile worker and aid in client service delivery.

“As our business and the businesses of our clients continue to evolve, we recognize that technology and the workforce of the future will change the way we work,” added de Armas. “The new office design reflects this, emphasizing teaming, personal flexibility and efficiency.”

The firm is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and will have the new space built with energy efficiency in mind. Sustainable materials and furnishings will be utilized throughout the space and PwC will strive for LEED certification when the build-out is complete.

“MetLife is excited to welcome such a high caliber firm as PwC to Wells Fargo Center. As one of MetLife’s premier developments and long-term investments, the Wells Fargo Center continues to attract many of the country’s most prominent companies,” stated Chuck Davis, Director and Head of the MetLife Southeast Regional Office.

The 47-story Wells Fargo Center features scenic views of Biscayne Bay and Miami’s skyline and offers PwC a number of significant benefits, including a fitness center and restaurants. The center is also adjacent to a four-star hotel, which includes an entertainment complex, salon and spa, and shopping.

Hotel Connections, Ltd, a global provider of hotel accommodations for the crews of the aviation and other travel industries, has relocated their corporate headquarters in Miami to 6100 Waterford leasing 8,379 square feet, announced Jeannette Mendoza of Taylor & Mathis the property’s exclusive leasing agent.

“A location easily accessible to Miami International Airport was the driving factor in our headquarters search,” stated Hotel Connections CEO Kenneth Shanley. “6100 Waterford is located one stoplight from the airport as well as being easily accessible for our employees. With the ideal location, amenities and beautiful, newly renovated building, there wasn’t a better choice for our company than 6100 Waterford.” The building was named the 2012 Suburban Office Low Rise Building of the Year by the Miami-Dade chapter of BOMA (the Building Owners and Management Association).

The firm is currently occupying temporary space in the building while their new offices are being completed. Ryan Ackerman of CBRE co-brokered the transaction representing Hotel Connections, while Taylor & Mathis’ Jeannette Mendoza represented building owner MetLife.

6100 Waterford is located across from Miami International Airport within the 250-acre Waterford at Blue Lagoon corporate park. MetLife owns three buildings referred to as The Atrium Buildings: 6100, 6303 & 6505 Waterford. The properties recently underwent a million dollar renovation.

Miami, FL –– Littler Mendelson, P.C. (Littler), the world’s largest employment and labor law firm, and Studley, a commercial real estate services firm specializing in tenant lease representation, have signed long term leases for 17,317 and 7,580 square feet, respectively, at Wells Fargo Center in downtown Miami. Combined, the leases have a value of over $14 million.

“Adding two top notch firms like Littler Mendelson and Studley to the already impressive tenant roster at Wells Fargo Center re-emphasizes the prestige of this trophy asset,” stated Taylor & Mathis’s Brian Gale, who spearheads leasing efforts for owner MetLife. “As one of the top tenant rep firms in Miami, Studley knows the market as well as anyone. That they chose Wells Fargo Center for their South Florida headquarters speaks volumes about the quality of this prestigious downtown Miami office tower.”

“MetLife is extremely pleased to welcome such high caliber firms as Littler Mendelson and Studley to Wells Fargo Center. We are committed to a long-term investment in the development and look forward to growing our tenant roster with such high quality firms,” stated Chuck Davis, regional director of MetLife’s Tampa real estate investment office.

Carter Hopkins of CBRE co-brokered the transaction representing Littler Mendelson, which was recently named “Law Firm of the Year” in Labor Law – Management from U.S. News and Best Lawyers for the second consecutive year.

Greg Katz of Studley negotiated the lease transaction on behalf of Studley.

Wells Fargo Center is a 750,000 square foot Class A office tower located one city block off Interstate 95 at the Brickell Financial District of Downtown Miami’s Enterprise Zone. It is home to some of the most prominent and respected companies in the country, including Wells Fargo Bank; Greenberg, Traurig; Deloitte; and McDermott, Will & Emery. The office building shares a site with the first of its kind JW Marriott Marquis hotel and the first Hotel Beaux Arts, the new super luxury hotel of Marriott International luxury group. Tenants benefit from the five-star amenities of the hotel, which include dining, conference facilities, an entertainment complex, fitness center, salon and spa and the Jim McLean Golf School. For more information, visit http://www.wellsfargocentermiami.com

AECOM Technology Corporation has signed a lease for 7,054 square feet at One MetroCenter in Tampa’s Westshore Business District. The lease negotiated by Taylor & Mathis Director of Leasing, Angela Odell, brings the office building’s occupancy to 90%.

Strong, stable ownership was a key factor in the firm’s decision to relocate to One MetroCenter. The Fortune 500 Company is consolidating two existing offices to new offices at One MetroCenter. The 11-story building is part of MetWest International, a mixed-use development owned by MetLife. The lease was co-brokered by Jack Hoskins of CBRE.

About AECOM

AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural, and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM serves clients in more than 140 countries and had revenue of $8.2 billion during the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2012.

About MetWest International

MetWest International is an award winning, mixed-use center developed by MetLife. Located across from Tampa International Airport and International Plaza in the Westshore Business District, MetWest International includes One MetroCenter, the Gold LEED Certified MetWest One and MetWest Two. A third office building will be started as demand dictates. Three well known restaurants, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Kona Grill and Texas de Brazil, have located their first Tampa locations in the project’s retail village. When complete, the pedestrian-friendly, urban-oriented development and is expected toinclude:

Nearly one million square feet of Class A office space

74,200 square foot retail village

260 room full-service upscale hotel

254 residential units

The project has received four Best of the Best NAIOP awards, including Outstanding Green Building/Project,OutstandingOfficeBuilding(MetWest One) and Outstanding Retail Building. Additionally, Taylor & Mathis was awarded Developer of the Year for their role in developing the mixed-use project. Taylor & Mathis serves as the development manager for the project and handles office leasing and management responsibilities.

Other awards include The United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Florida Gulf Coast Chapter Outstanding Project of the Year (MetWest One), The Greater Tampa Bay chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)OfficeBuildingof the Year and the BOMA 360 Performance Building designation (One MetroCenter). Both MetWest One and One MetroCenter have achieved EPA Energy Star ratings. In addition, MetWest Two has been designed for LEED Certification by the US Green Building Council.